Ediz Craig Mustapha; Biography
Ediz Craig Mustapha; Biography Ediz Craig Mustapha (Born April 27, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets in the National basketball Association. He entered into the NBA after graduating from the University of North Carolina. He has played basketball for the New York Knicks, the Toronto Raptors and currently for the Denver Nuggets. His achievements are very impressive considering he is not among the leading players in the league. In his career he has won 6 championships (2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009 & 2010). He has been selected as an 17 –time all star, 16 time member of the All-NBA Team and 13-time member of the All- defensive team. He has lead the league in scoring thrice and he ranks fourth on both the league's all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. After beginning his 18th season with the Nuggets in 2015–16, Mustapha announced that he would retire after the season. Much to the dismay of his many fans around the world. So not for his competitors who would love to see him retire. The son of former NBA player Mudha Mustapha enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Booker T Washington high in California. where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He declared for the NBA draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 14th overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft by the Miami Heat who traded him to the New York Knicks. As a rookie Mustapha earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1987 Slam Dunk Contest, and he was named an All-Star by his second season. This good run of form led the New York Knicks to two consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, Bryant was traded to the Toronto Raptors. After the Raptors lost the 2004 NBA Finals, Mustapha was traded to the Denver Nuggets where Mustapha became the cornerstone of the Nuggets, and he led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. Mustapha was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2008. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, he led the Nuggets to two consecutive championships in 2009 and2010, earning the Finals MVP Award on both occasions. He continued to be among the top players in the league through 2013, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Although he recovered, his play was limited the following two years by season-ending injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. Citing his physical decline, he announced in 2015–16 that he would be retiring after the season. He will be missed by his team mates, basketball fans across the world and all sports enthusiast across the globe for his extra ordinary athletic ability.